As a U8 soccer coach, I witnessed my team’s horrendous loss after a game with a score of 8-0. My team was devasted and distraught; they were annoyed and wanted to break into tears. I observed every mistake they made in the game: dribbling, shooting, and passing; and I was determined to get them back on their feet and practice for the upcoming matches.
The most obvious mistake my team had made was dribbling. Whenever they had the ball, they would to pass it to their teammates instead of dribbling it through open space. It was apparent that they were afraid of running. Our very next session, I focused on dribbling practices and games. Practices that would ensure they would get the message of running with the ball. In the next game, I saw their performance drastically improve, even though they still lost.
After that game, I focused on their next weakness: shooting. By getting them to aim and shoot with force, they were able to score numeorus goals during practice. After shooting practice, it was passing. Setting up drills where they had to not only use their feet, but also communicate allowed them to build a stronger relationship with their mates.
As we entered the third game of the season, our team played their best. Their improvement from the first game was evident with a 3-0 win.
Experimentation is Key
All leaders understand that for an organization to reach new heights, they must accept failure. Understanding the mistakes that an organization makes will help decision-making and continuous improvement. As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” The process of creating a better team is fostered through turbulence and errors. Once difficulties and failures have been faced, it is then time to experiment ways for a successful future. That’s exactly what I did with my team. I witnessed failure, and experimented different drills to improve their weaknesses.
Active Learning
When experimentating and learning from one’s mistakes, there are four different approaches:
Taking Action - Preferring to Learn by Trial and Error
Thinking - Reading Articles, books, or attaining knowledge from online
Feeling - Confronting themselves on what they are worrying about.
Accessing others - Bouncing hopes and fears off someone they trust
For my team's improvement, I used the “Thinking” approach, where I viewed online content relevant to dribbling training and drills. I was able to implement them and boost my team’s performance.
Final Thoughts
Learning from experience is crucial for success. That is why Exemplary leaders create an environment where challenge and failure is accepted. Team members have to know that when they experiment and take risks, they won’t be punished for failure. Instead, they’ll use that knowledge as a learning experience. To start your organization with failure acceptance, believe in this mantra: Never stop experimenting.
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